Human rights fighter Andrei Bandarenka was sentenced to three years in prison

Ex- director of the Platform Innovation human rights group was convicted to three years of prison. Judge Ala Abakunchyk found him guilty in three different cases of crimes.

On August 12 the Kastrychnitski District Court in Minsk sentenced Andrei Bandarenka to three years in a medium-security correctional institution, BelaPAN informs.

The human rights fighter was found guilty of hooliganism and malicious hooliganism. 

The judge Ala Abakunchyk has announced the verdict.

The public prosecutor had demanded five years in prison for the rights activist. 
Let us recall that Andrei Bandarenka was accused of punching young man Artur Yavorski in the face during an argument outside a restaurant in Minsk on February 5. 

In addition, the prosecution insisted that Bandarenka attacked two women, a mother and daughter, near his apartment on March 27. He allegedly attacked them again inside a police station hours later. 

In his final speech, Mr. Bandarenka apologized to the women but stressed that the gravity of his actions was magnified by the prosecution. 

Referring to the incident where he allegedly attacked Yavorski, the activist suggested that the entire incident had been orchestrated to send him to prison. 

Bandarenka was arrested by police officers on April 1 and has since been held in Detention Center No. 1 on Valadarskaha Street in the Belarusian capital city. 

Bandarenka was repeatedly arrested earlier; thus, in May 2009 and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison later that year. In March 2011, the Minsk City Court found Mr. Bandarenka innocent, overturning his conviction and ordering his immediate release. 

Mr. Bandarenka is the winner of the 2013 Human Rights Defender of the Year award of Belarus’ leading human rights groups.